GRAN TURISMO 3: ENDURANCE RACES GUIDE
by
Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather
feather7@ix.netcom.com
Version: FINAL
Initial version completed: December 5, 2001
Final version completed: May 11, 2002
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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Grand Valley 300km
Seattle 100 Miles
Laguna Seca 200 Miles
Passage to Colosseo 2 Hours
Trial Mountain 2 Hours
Special Stage Route 11
Roadster Apricot Hill
Mistral (Cote d'Azur) 78 Laps
Super Speedway 150 Miles
Wish List
Contact
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SPACING AND LENGTH
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Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers
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PERMISSIONS
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Permission is granted to download and print one copy for
personal use.
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INTRODUCTION
Why a game guide specific to the Endurance Races in Gran
Turismo 3? Certainly, many of the Endurance Races do NOT
have any restrictions concerning the types of cars allowed
and/or tuning restrictions. However, a few races do, so this
guide presents some strategies to winning races.
For all but a handful of Endurance Races, ANY car in Gran
Turismo 3 is a legal entry. For these races, I much prefer
to use an F1 car. I am certainly not a physicist, but I
assume that the lack of vertical height makes an F1 car's
center of gravity much lower, thus allowing it to both
respond better to steering and corner at higher speeds
(averaging about 30MPH/50KPH faster, and up to 70MPH/110KPH
faster at some venues). For my personal driving style, I
also find it much easier to both induce and recover from a
slide when taking tight corners with an F1 car. Ultimately,
this means - in my opinion - that the F1 cars are a nearly-
sure bet for winning a race. For the races for which an F1
car IS a legal entry, the superior cornering and powerful
acceleration will usually result in impressive leads over the
rest of the field, allowing a stop to change tires without a
loss of position. Yet the response to steering could lead to
turning just a little too much just a little too soon, thus
rubbing a wheel against a barrier, and potentially bringing
the car to a standstill if this occurs at the right (or,
depending on point of view, wrong) angle. For more
information on this, please see my Gran Turismo 3: F1 Guide.
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GRAND VALLEY 300KM
Unfortunately, much of the area's beautiful scenery is
obscured by the elevation of the circuit itself and by the
tunnels. Like most of the Endurance Races, Grand Valley
300km does not have restrictions on cars or tuning. An F1
car is a great pick for this race, although as the tire
indicators turn orange and red, expect an F1 car's inherent
slide-ability to make handling extremely tricky through
hairpins and especially when navigating the nasty chicane
after the final (semi-open) tunnel. Plan on about 2 hours,
15 minutes to complete this sixty-lap race.
An IA license is required for this race.
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SEATTLE 100 MILES
The scenery has changed a little since GT2 (primarily the
stadiums at the end of the circuit), but this is still a
wonderful and challenging racing venue. At forty laps, this
race can be completed in approximately one hour. There are
plenty of good passing opportunities here, especially on the
front stretch, the long four-tiered uphill climb, and the
bridge over the railroad tracks approaching the stadium area.
There are no car restrictions here, so an F1 car's inherent
agility provides a good advantage here, especially in
navigating the final segment of the circuit (the bus stop
chicane between the two stadium sites and the tight left-
right chicane at Pit Entry); however, an F1 car is so light
that safely navigating the steep uphill climb can be
difficult, especially when trying to slow and corner at the
top of the climb.
An IA license is required for this race.
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LAGUNA SECA 200 MILES
This is the circuit with the world-famous Corkscrew. The
Corkscrew tends to cause problems for all sorts of cars, but
the aerodynamic problems seem to be especially great for F1
cars. This 90-lap race takes place in the evening, so there
is an orange glow cast over the circuit. The glow produces
severe shadows in some areas, which may make it difficult to
quickly spot dark-colored cars; for this reason, an F1 car
will automatically have its single red taillight illuminated.
Plan on a little over two hours to complete this race.
An IA license is required for this race.
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PASSAGE TO COLOSSEO 2 HOURS
This event is patterned after TRUE endurance races: The
winner is the car which completes the most laps in the
allotted time. With an F1 car, I have always completed at
least 75 laps in two hours; I could probably complete 100+
laps, but I tend to play around with the other cars and try
to knock the cones ALL the way around the circuit :-)
The trickiest part of the Rome circuit is entering Pit Lane;
the Pit Lane Entry is immediately to the right AFTER
navigating the final tight right-hand corner. Because of the
barrier, Pit Lane is unsighted approaching the final corner.
After the initial laps, always be mindful of slow cars in
this corner; if you cut the corner too sharply, you may
accidentally ram a car entering Pit Lane.
An IA license is required for this race.
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TRIAL MOUNTAIN 2 HOURS
Like the Passage to Colosseo race, the winner here is the car
which completes the most laps in the allotted time. Only
Normal (non-racing) cars are permitted for this race.
Trial Mountain is a shadowy circuit due to the tall mountain
cliffs, the long tunnel on the back stretch, and the many
trees. Therefore, it may not be wise to use a dark-colored
car here if you prefer to drive in Chase View; a lighter-
colored car will make cornering easier, as you will not have
as much difficulty in spotting the front end of your own
vehicle. Also due to the many shadows, keep alert if there
are dark-colored CPU-controlled cars in the race.
This is also a somewhat technical circuit, with some corners
between the mountain cliffs requiring a maximum speed of
65MPH/105KPH, and even this may be excessive. One great
place to pass is the wide left-hand corner after exiting the
long tunnel; instead of braking, slide along the guardrail on
the outside of the corner - friction will certainly slow you
down, but not as much as other cars braking normally to your
left.
Two cars I can personally recommend for this race are the
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with Medium-slick Tires and the Jaguar
XJ220 Road Car with Super-slick Tires. In two races here
with the Z06, I have won by approximately fifty seconds due
only to the fewer required pit stops (using Medium-slick
Tires). The XJ220 Road Car, however, has an impressive stock
horsepower of 516HP; cornering at high speeds is difficult
(especially with Super-slick Tires), but the high horsepower
output results in excellent speeds along the straightaways,
enough to quickly gain the lead and keep extending that lead
by at least five seconds per lap. While the XJ220 Road Car
is far faster than any other in the race, the Z06 has far
better handling when cornering with its stock configuration.
An IA license and a Normal car are required for this race.
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SPECIAL STAGE ROUTE 11
One of the original circuits of the Gran Turismo series,
SSR11 was missing from GT2, and has returned with some
modifications in GT3. This is a nighttime race, which is a
very different experience from racing in the daylight. An F1
car is a good choice here to better navigate the tight
corners and chicanes (especially in the first half of the
circuit); because of the generally poor visibility at night,
an F1 car will have its single red taillight on. Plan on a
little over two hours to complete this race.
An IA license is required for this race.
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ROADSTER APRICOT HILL
This is one of the Endurance Races with restrictions on
appropriate cars. Further, only factory-stock, NON-TUNED
cars can be used; the only permitted change to the cars can
be the tires.
Concerning the tires, I suggest buying two sets of tires:
Soft or Super-soft Tires for qualifying, and Medium-slick
Tires for the actual race. While not truly necessary,
qualifying with Soft or Super-soft Tires will give you a good
chance to start the race at the front of the pack, as these
tires will provide superior grip with the pavement during the
few laps necessary for qualifying.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata LS will be your strongest competition
here in the initial laps, and will play psychological warfare
with you as it leaps out to a big lead, unless you have the
flawless racing skills to keep pace. However, the Miata LS
stops for tires every three laps, so if you are falling
behind initially, just wait for the Miata LS to go to Pit
Lane once or twice and you should have the lead. The other
cars in the race are much slower, and you will likely lap the
backmarkers at least once.
As for race strategy, many of the corners at Apricot Hill are
rather tight, so use of the rumble strips - especially at the
apex and exit of each corner - is key. However, be careful
not to drop a wheel off the rumble strips and into the sand
lining the inside of most corners (especially in the initial
S-turns), as that will both slow you down and accelerate tire
wear. Please see my Gran Turismo 3: Tires Guide for more
information on tire care.
Plan on about ninety minutes to complete this race.
An IA license is required for this race. Also, only three
cars are permitted for this race: Mazda MX-5 Miata LS, Mazda
MX-5 Miata 1.8 RS(J), and Mazda MX-5 Miata (J).
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TOKYO R246
This 100-lap race in Tokyo combines fast speeds with tricky
technical corners. In a way, this circuit recalls Ridge
Racer V, especially on the front stretch approaching Turn 1.
Care must be taken entering Pit Lane, which narrows
significantly upon entry. Plan on a little over two hours to
complete this race. An F1 car is a safe bet for an easy win
at this venue.
An IA license is required for this race.
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MISTRAL (COTE D'AZUR) 78 LAPS
This race takes place at the Monaco circuit used in real-
world F1 races; circuit details (including driving
instructions) are included in my Gran Turismo 3: Cote d'Azur
Guide. Unfortunately, this version of the Cote d'Azur
circuit places a blindingly-bright sun directly at the top of
Beau Rivage, the long uphill climb at the beginning of the
circuit >:-( Extreme care must be taken when entering Pit
Lane, which narrows significantly upon entry.
Since this circuit is used (exclusively) by real-world F1
cars, an F1 car is the best possible choice here. However,
tuning any car is key here on this tight, technical circuit.
One area which warrants tuning attention is the gearbox;
since there is really only one 'long' area in which to
accelerate (The Tunnel), change the gearbox toward 'Sport' to
gain faster acceleration out of the many corners (at the
sacrifice of top-end speed, which is definitely NOT a
priority at Cote d'Azur). Second, raise the Front and Rear
Downforce close to maximum; while this also sheds top-end
speed, cornering will be rendered easier. Adjusting Ride
Height to maximum will increase aerodynamic friction
underneath the car, slowing the car slightly to also assist
in cornering. Finally, use high brake settings to hold
maximum speed heading into the tight corners, a good strategy
for passing on braking (where the circuit is wide enough to
allow such a maneuver).
Passing at Cote d'Azur is extremely difficult because the
circuit is so tight (although GT3 presents a generally wider
circuit than the actual streets of Monaco). Therefore, it is
to your advantage to first qualify on Pole if at all
possible; this will keep you ahead of the logjam at the first
corner (Sainte-Devote) and help you to gain a larger lead as
the rest of the competitors try to squeeze through the tight
right-hand corner. If you are not using an F1 car (which can
only use Medium Tires in GT3), make sure to use Soft or
Super-soft Tires to qualify; the extra grip will help in the
tight corners and in acceleration. Plan on about two hours
to complete this race.
An IA license is required for this race.
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SUPER SPEEDWAY 150 MILES
This race has no restrictions concerning tuning or acceptable
cars, which means that fast, high-powered cars can be used
here for an extremely easy win in under 60 minutes. As with
many of the other Endurance Races, the F1 cars are a good bet
here. Also, a fully-maxxed Suzuki Escudo (over 1800HP) can
be used here, although it will have so much power that it
will be scraping the walls in the corners. Another good
possibility is the Mazda 787B; again, it will have so much
power that it will be scraping the walls in the corners, but
if Super-slick Tires are used, the tires will last
approximately 45 laps before the tire indicators turn red,
meaning that only two trips to Pit Lane are needed in the
race.
Interestingly, Pit Lane both starts and ends on the back
stretch of Super Speedway. This is much better than the
track's appearance in Gran Turismo 2, in which Pit Lane was
extremely short and difficult to use as both Pit Entry and
Pit Exit were actually on the front stretch.
There has been some discussion on the Internet concerning a
rubber band trick which can be used at Super Speedway. While
I have not tried it and have not really read the details of
the trick, I do know that it requires using a rubber band to
position the left (steering) analog stick and using a clamp
or other item to keep the accelerator button held down. Once
this is done, simply walk away and return in about an hour.
The Suzuki Escudo is supposedly the best car to use for this
rubber band trick.
An IA license is required for this race.
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WISH LIST
Some of the things I would like to see in future versions of
the Gran Turismo series:
1.) Even MORE Endurance Races would be nice, including Rally
Endurance Races with more than just two cars on the track :-)
2.) TRUE endurance races would be great. Perhaps the Petit
Le Mans or the 24 Hours of Daytona could be added. Of
course, this would require a method to allow players to save
their progress during the game; perhaps this can be done when
a player comes to Pit Lane (as in Le Mans 24 Hours).
3.) One of the challenges of Gran Turismo 2 was finding just
the right car within a certain horsepower range for a given
Endurance Race. These restrictions should be brought back.
Also, a range of license restrictions should be implemented
in accordance with appropriate horsepower ratings.
4.) Please implement more Normal Car Endurance Races, perhaps
in conjunction with the item above.
5.) For all non-Rally races (including the Endurance Races),
bring back the bonus money for gaining Pole Position, as was
the case in the original Gran Turismo.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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